Bourbon!

Hi all - A friend asked me to recommend a bourbon, in the $75 - $100 range. Now I love bourbon, but I'm a Makers Mark gal, and if i want something smoother, I'll drink the "ladies" bourbon, Basil Hayden's. However I believe she wants something a little more higher end than these.

I read thru the old bourbon tasting post, but was hoping for some input regarding the cost/quality factor.

Thanks!
Sharon

Anchor Brewing, the company that makes Anchor Steam beer, also makes two rye whiskeys bottled under the name Old Potrero: one is "18th Century Style" and the other is "19th Century Style." They're about $60 per bottle. They're quite interesting, and very distinctive. I've only ever had the 19th Century Style; in a category as small as rye whiskey, it blows the competition away. If I had to describe the flavor (in terms of how you describe Maker's Mark as sweet), I've always found rye - and especially this one - to be oily and full-bodied. I think they're both cask strength, somewhere in the neighborhood of 55-60% abv. I don't know of any bourbons that go for over $100; maybe someone at Sam's can help you spend that money.

I like Booker Noe's, which runs about $45.

I haven't tried it, but Sam's has Old Rip Van Winkle "Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve" 20-year-old bourbon at $120.

It's hard to spend $75 to $100 on a bottle of bourbon, so I'll assume the objective is to buy something good, not just something expensive. One problem with something like the Pappy Van Winkle 20 or 23-year-old is that you get a lot of barrel flavor at that age, which is not to everyone's liking. That's true of anything over about 10 years, for that matter. You are paying extra money for the extra age, but all that barrel character is not to everyone's taste. In other words, it isn't necessarily "better," just "different."

One suggestion I would make is the A.H. Hirsch 16 year old, which Sam's still had the last time I was there. It's $50, very tasty, and unique because it is the last bottling from a defunct distillery, Pennsylvania's Michters.

Blanton's and Booker's are also good choices in that same price range, as is Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit.

In the Pappy Van Winkle range, I suggest the Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 15-year-old. All of the "Pappy" bottlings are from another defunct distillery, the Van Winkle family's Stitzel-Weller. The 15-year-old is really terrific and accessible to most bourbon drinkers, because it's lighter on the wood than the older ones.

If you can find it, George T. Stagg is a pretty special product, 15-years-old and barrel proof, and produced in very limited editions, hence availability is very limited. Pretty bottle too. Same caveat about wood.

Not as rare but in the same family (similar bottle) is Eagle Rare 17-year-old.

Those are pretty much the high end bourbons I would recommend. If you go to Sam's you will see others, some priced even higher than the $50 for which most of the above sell. In most cases, they are products of bottlers who are merely bottling someone else's whiskey. They aren't distillers and, unlike Hirsch which is the same deal, they don't tell you where the whiskey was made. For the most part, while they are the age they claim to be, they are nothing special and not really worth the price, but if you're determined to spend $75+, one of them might do the trick.

Thanks for the recommendations - i'll forward these to my pal.

I think I might have to try a couple of these special selections myself!

Sharon